Refillable safety indicating fuse



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT A. WELLS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

REFILLABLE SAFETY INDICATING- FUSE.

Application filed March 28, 1918.

To all whom. it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT A. XVELLS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Detroit, in the county of Vayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved Refillable Safety Indicating Fuse, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an elect-ric fuse of the knife-blade type and is especially adapted for systems of high amperage, although it is not limited to this use.

The invention has for its" general objects to improve the construction of fuses of the inclosed type, which are of comparatively simple and inexpensive construction, reliable and efficient in use, and so designed that the fuse can be applied or removed with safety and a new fuse strip substituted with facility.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision of a fuse having a device which serves as a blown fuse indicator, and has an arc interrupter, so that when the fuse blows this fact will be immediately indicated and an arc springing from one terminal to the other will be prevented.

Vith such and other objects in view, the invention comprises various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which' will be set forth with particularity in the following description and claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of the invention and wherein similarI characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views,

Figure 1 is a. perspective view of the fuse;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Figs. 3, 4 and 5 are transverse sections respectively on the lines S-J, 4 4 and 5 5, Fig. l;

Fig. 6 is a. view similar to Fig. 5, except that the means for indicating the blowing of the fuse and for preventing arcing is in released position; and

Fig. 7 is a view of the fuse strip.

Referring to `the drawing, A designates the body of the fuse, which is of cylindrical shape and made up of two sections 1 and 2 of non conductive and fire resisting material pressed or otherwise formed, and clamped between the sections at the ends of vthe body are the copper terminal pieces or Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Feb. 3, 1920.

serial No. 225,212.

blade members 3 and 4 which are adapted to iit in the clips of a standard fuse bloc.; Bolts 5ypass through the ends of the sections 1 and 2 and through the copper pieces 3 and 4 so as to firmly hold the members toget-her, there being spring washers 6 on the bolts to prevent loosening and for holding the parts together under spring tension. The fuse strip 7 lies between the sections 1 and 2 with its ends in face to face contact with the terminal pieces 3 and 4, one eX- tremity of the fuse strip being bent laterally into a lug 8 for bearing a. stamp indicating the capacity of the fuse strip. Pins 9 are anchored in the section l of the body and pass through openings 10 and 1l in the terminal pieces 3 and 4 and fuse strip 7, and the ends of these pins enter sockets 12 in the section 2 oi the body. In this manner the terminal pieces 3 and 4, fuse strip T and part 2 of the body A can be readily assembled and held in proper position for the insertion of the bolts 5 which clamp the fuse strip firmly against the terminal pieces. At the center of the body, which latter is molded with a heat dissipating chamber 13.

is a device B which serves to indicate the condition of the fuse and to prevent arcing when the fuse strip is blown. This device comprises a block 14 of insulating material slidable in a guide passage 15 formed in a transverse partition 16 cast partly on each section 1 and 2 of the body. In this block is a spring 17 which is under compression by reason of the block being restrained by the fuse strip while the latter is intact; and anchored in the block is a pin 18 which has a pointed end 19 that passes outwardly through an opening 20 in the body A and pierces a seal er indicating member 21 of paper or equivalent material which is pasted to the outer surface of the body. Of course the fuse strip is perforated so that the pin 19 can pass therethrough. Normally the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 2 and 5, and when the fuse strip blows the spring 17 is eifective to throw the slide 14 to the position shown in Fig. G, whereby the indicating element 21 is punctured and the slide closes the opening in the partition through which the fuse strip extends, and consequently arcing in the fuse is prevented. After the fuse strip is blown the fuse can be removed from the fuse block by grasping the body A in the hand, and thenthe parts or the body A are separated by the removal oi' the invention appertains, and while have described the principle of operation, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I vdesire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made when desired as fall withiny the scope of the a pended claims.

Having thus cescribed my invention, I vclaim as new and desire to secureV by Letters Patent:

l. A'use comprising a body of insulating material divided longitudinally into sections, there ,being registering apertures in the sections adjacent the ends, metal pieces disposed between the sections and having apertures registering with those rst mentioned, a fuse strip lying between the sections and having apertures registering with those' of thesections, the said strip being disposed in contact with the said metal pieces, and bolts passing through the apertures and through the apertures of the said strip and metal pieces for clamping all of said parts together. Y l

2. A fuse comprising a body of insulating material divided longitudinally into sections, there being registeriig S7 the sections adjacent the en metal pieces apertures in disposed between the sections and having apertures registering with those first mentioned, a fuse strip lying between the sections and having apertures registering with those of the sections, the said strip bein disposed in Contact with the said metal pieces, bolts passing through the apertures and through the apertures of the said strip and metal pieces :tor clamping all of said parts together, pins on one of the sections of the body, and the other section and the strip and metal pieces having registering apertures to receive the ins, whereby the parts canY be held in asseiii led relation before the bolts are applied.

3. A fuse comprising a cylindrical body formed of two longitudinal sections secured together, said body being provided with chambers sep( rated by a partition having a transversejpassage leading to an aperture in the body, a fuse strip between the sections of the body, a spring-pressed block in the passage of the partition and having oneend engaging the fuse strip whereby it is Vheld retracted in the said passage, a pin carried by the block extending into the aperture of the body, and a.` puncturable member over the aperture of said body.

4. A fuse, comprising a body having a guide passage and an aperture leading; to the passage, a fuse strip inthe body and eX- tending through said passage, said 'r'use strip being provided with openings, a spring actuated ,block Ain the passage and provided with projections vengaging the openings of the fuse strip, a pin carried bythe block and extending into the said aperture, and a puncturable ineinberover the aperture., Y

. ALBERT A. WELLS 

